The Italian fried pastry traditionally associated with Saint Joseph’s Day is the zeppole.
Zeppole are fried or baked pastries made from dough or choux pastry, depending on the regional recipe. They are especially associated with the March 19 feast of Saint Joseph, which is also celebrated as Father’s Day in Italy. Bakeries often prepare them in large quantities for the occasion.
Different regions give the pastry different forms and names. Some zeppole are ring-shaped, while others are mounds or spirals. They may be filled or topped with pastry cream, ricotta, custard, powdered sugar, cherries, or honey.
Zeppole are sometimes confused with similar Italian fried pastries such as sfogliatelle or bomboloni. Those foods have different doughs and traditions: bomboloni are filled doughnuts, while zeppole are a broader family of festive pastries. The name zeppole therefore describes a traditional category rather than one perfectly uniform shape.